Hearing aid



1956 F. w. LEWIS ETAL 3,

HEARING AID Filed June 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l FI/E. 1

D I00 2/ I00 I ZO INVENTORS Fksaaa/ck M Lea/ls BY DAV/0 Alvarez M/47'oMZP6'2A/u44 65 WwCuAm Arron/lays United States Patent f 3,233,048 HEARING AID Frederick W. Lewis, Brooklyn Center, David A. Meyer, Robbinsdale, and Milton J. Pernula, Minneapolis, Minn., assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Telex Corporation, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 19, 1962, Ser. No. 203,594 11 Claims. (Cl. 179-107) This invention relates generally to hearing aids and is more particularly directed to hearing aids of the type adapted for use with an eyeglass frame.

The art with which our invention is concerned has seen the evolution of devices for assisting those afliicted with hearing problems from crude, large, inefficient devices to smaller and smaller more efiicient devices. One aspect which has assumed major importance in this field is that of the cosmetic appearance of a hearing aid. Most often, those affiicted with hearing problems do not wish to call attention to this fact by wearing a device which obviously is present to assist them in overcoming this unfortunate difficulty. In fact, it has been estimated that only one out of three individuals who might benefit from the use of a hearing aid device have not done so primarily for this reason. Another reason for the apparent lack of acceptance is concerned with economic factors evolving around seemingly high costs of acquisition.

It has been amply demonstrated that hearing aid devices concealed in the frame of eyeglasses are considerably less objectionable from the cosmetic, or appearance, standpoint than many of the other forms of hearing aids therefore available. The prior art is replete with examples of various attempts to provide eyeglass type hearing aids which perform in a satisfactory manner and have a pleasing unobtrusive appearance. Unfortunately, appearance has not been synonymous with performance. For example, the size associated with presently available hearing aids of this type immediately conveys the fact to others that the wearer is using a hearing aid even though the performance of the unit is entirely satisfactory to the user. The use of smaller components to diminish the size and resulting impression that any eyeglass templar member is a hearing aid, has presented problems affecting the performance of the hearing aid device which have proven difficult to solve. Further, even though some attempts have been made in the prior art to provide some adjustment of the hearing aid templar members to conform to the head of a wearer by providing a standard unit which, in combination with inserts of various lengths may be adjusted in length to fit the head of a user, the units have been constructed as right or left hand models and have been of rigid construction so that small adjustments in the configuration of the hearing aid unit itself have not been possible.

In the present invention, a universal hearing aid assembly is provided which may be used in combination with an eyeglass frame to aid in overcoming hearing difficulties in either or both ears of a user. Further, the size and appearance are such as to create an illusion on the part of an observer that the hearing aid assembly, including the eyeglass frame, is nothing more than a pair of ordinary eyeglasses. When fitting is required to an individual, the hearing aid unit may easily be permanently formed to a contour which will fit the head of the individual so as to securely hold the entire unit in place.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved and novel hearing aid assembly for use in combination with an eyeglass frame.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an eyeglass hearing aid wherein a complete hearing aid assembly is contained in a templar member which may be used for coaction with either side of an eyeglass frame Patented F eb. 1, 1966 and may be easily fitted to conform to the users head contour.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hearing aid of the eyeglass type in which improved performanee is attained concurrently with a substantial reduction in size.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a symmetrical universal hearing aid assembly for coaction with an eyeglass frame.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved connecting means for connecting an eyeglass hearing aid to an eyeglass frame.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an eyeglass type hearing aid in which a microphone is positioned forwardly of the ear of a user and a sound reproducer is positioned rearwardly of the ear of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved microphone assembly for use in an eyeglass type hearing aid.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved receiver assembly for use in an eyeglass hearing aid.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved battery holding and contact assembly for use in an eyeglass hearing aid.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved combination of elements in an eyeglass hearing aid.

These and other objects of our invention will become apparent from the appended specification, claims and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a complete binaural hearing aid device.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of one of the complete hearing aid assemblies shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along section line 55 of FIG. 4 and represents the sound reproducing portion of the assembly.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged views of the battery holding and contact assembly portion of the assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of an intermediate portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the section line 1010 on FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the forward end of the assembly shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the section line 12-12 on FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along section line 13-13 on FIG. 8.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along section line 14-14 on FIG. 8.

Like reference numerals have been applied to like elements throughout the figures of the drawings.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, of the drawing, there is shown an eyeglass frame assembly 14-0 which is substantiaily symmetrical about its center bridge portion 17 and has a pair of lens mounting members 15 which are hingedly attached by hinge members 18 to a pair of right and left stub members 130. Attached to each of the stub members 130 are a pair of hearing aid assemblies (which may be identical), each having front portions 22, ear engaging portions 20 and rear portions 21. Also shown are sound conducting tubes connected to ear engaging members for insertion into the auditory canal of a user. As shown, the hearing aid apparatus constitutes a binaural hearing device having a pair of independent hearing aid assemblies, one for each ear. In FIG. 1 the symmetry of the hearing aid assembly 100 about its longitudinal axis is readily apparent. Further, while not shown, the rear portion 21 may be permanently deformed laterally or in an upward or downward direction so as to provide for accurate fitment to the contour of the head of a user. I

In FIGS. 3 and 4, an enlarged hearing aid assembly is shown and the variouscomponents of which the hearing aid assembly is comprised are identified by reference characters as follows; a stub member engaging and holding portion 30 adapted to receive and hold a member projecting thereinto from either of stub members 130 on FIGS. 1 and 2; a switch means 24, having an operating lever extendingbelow the lower portion of the hearing aid assembly; a volume and power output control 25, having an operator therefor extending below the lower part of the assembly; a sound translating assembly 26 positioned for coaction with sound channels 40 and 41 extending through the bottom of assembly 100; a battery holding and contact assembly 27; a sound outlet member 23 positioned immediately forwardly of ear engaging portion 20; a sound reproducing assembly or receiver 28; and an electrical amplifying means 29. The individual components are positioned, or mounted, within separate chambers or compartments formed in the interior of the assembly, the housing ofwhich is made up of a pair of housing members 101 and 102 of complementary size and shape. Not shown on the drawing are suitable conductors for interconnecting the various electrical components of the apparatus so as to form a complete operative hearing aid assembly. Reference is made to a certain co-pending application, Serial No. 181,311, filed March 21, 1962 in the name of Frederick W. Lewis for Amplifier and assigned to the assignee of the present application. In the last noted application, disclosure is made of electrical apparatus for use in a hearing aid device which may readily be applied to the present invention.

Housing members 101 and 102 were constructed of a thermo plastic material in one embodiment of our invention. However, it is contemplated that any suitable material having the necessarymechanical properties may be utilized. From a consideration of the drawing of FIG. 3, it may be seen that there are a plurality of independent chambers formed for receiving the several components of which the hearing aid assembly is comprised. The two halves of the housing may be joined together by suitable material and it is contemplated that the chambers will also be sealed Where electrical conductors extend between and through the chambers. Ear piece 120 may be constructed of soft rubber or the like and sound tube 110 may also be constructed of a relatively flexible material.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an enlarged sectional drawing of the receiver assembly 23 which is positioned in one of the chambers of the housing assembly. Includedin assembly 28 is a commercially available miniature receiver assembly 60, having a sound outlet tube 61, a complaint connector tube 62, a resonance tube 63 and a sound outlet fitting 23 having a channel 64 and a further channel 65. The lower end of outlet member 23 is connected to sound tube 110. Receiver 60 may be one of a number of commercially available devices. Compliant member 62 may be of soft rubber or the like, resonance tube 63 may be of a sound impervious resilient plastic, or the like, material and sound outlet member 23 is comprised of any suitable material, for example, hard plastic. Receiver 60 is surrounded and held in place by a material which is resilient and non-conductive of sound, for example, foam rubber.

It may now be apparent to those skilled in the art that our invention places the receiver at a position and with a construction which provides greater freedom from the undesirable effects of mechanical and acoustical feedback, and the like, provides an improved output response for the receiver to result in substantially improved performance of the hearing aid assembly and may be moved relative to a sound outlet channel when fitting adjustments to a user are necessary.

Referring now to FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 1'3 and 14, the enlarged several views of the battery holder and contact assembly show a battery carrier member 70, having an opening 71 extending therethrough for receiving a battery journalled for rotation about a shaft member 72 inserted through housing members 101 and 102. Hole 71 is slightly smaller near one surface of member 70 so that a battery inserted from one side will not fall out of the other side and will be in position for insertion of member 70 within the chamber provided in the housing assembly. A pair of battery engaging contact members 74 and having contacts 78 and 77 respectively are attached to a mountingvmember 73 secured within the chamber provided for the battery contact assembly 27. The right hand ends of contact members 74 and 75 are connected to suitable conductors for energization of the various portions of the electrical apparatus used in the hearing aid assembly through suitable connecting means (not shown). The housing members 101 and 102 contain recesses in which the left hand ends of contact members 74' and 75 are free to move in a lateral direction and, in the absence of a battery, will extend inwardly toward the center of the housing with contacts 77 and 78 being positioned a smaller distance apart than the thickness of a battery. The contacts 77 and 78 at the ends of contact members 74 and 75 are of generally isosceles triangular'shape and are formed of portions of contact members 74 and 75 bent inwardly at right angles and at an angle to the longitudinal axes of the contact members for purposes to be explained below. FIGS. 13 and 14 show the general shape of the battery contact 78 as being pointedin nature and extending at a right angle inwardly toward the center of the housing assembly. As shown on FIG. 8, contact 78 on contact member 75 is at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis so that it is tangential to a radius extended from the center of pin member 72. Also shown on FIG. 8 is-the arcuate motion of battery carrier 70 about pin member 72. The tangential position of contacts 77 and 78 with respect to the motion of the battery carried by battery carrier 70 in combination with the pointed configuration establishes a wiping and scraping action across the surfaces of the battery to thereby provide an improved electrical contact so as to obtain maximum performance and life from batteries utilized to energize the hearing aid assembly regardless of the physical condition of the surface of the battery used. In apparatus of thisnature, a small amount of contact resistance bet-ween the battery and the circuit to be energized results in a substantial reduction in the efficiency and useful life of a battery. Contact members 74 and 75 may be constructed of suitable conductive material having the resilient properties necessary to exert an inward biasing force at the ends upon which contacts 77 and 78 are formed.

In FIGS. 9 and 10 a microphone assembly 26 is shown comprised of a microphone 50 and a resonance chamber 44 interconnected by an opening indicated by the reference character 46 applied to the two dotted lines. The entire assembly is held in place by suitably positioned members of foam rubber or the like. A sound transmitting channel 47 extends through an opening 40 provided on the bottom of the housing and is surrounded by a tube member 42 comprised of soft rubber, or the like. Resonance chamber 44, which is afiixed to the end of microphone 50 so as to provide an airtight connection, includes a sound channel containing an inertance tube 43 having an inside diameter substantially the same as opening 45. Inertance tube 43 extends downwardly through opening 40 in the housing.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are enlarged sectional views of the connector portion of hearing aid assembly 100. A resilient U-shaped member 31, having indentations 33 extending inwardly toward the center thereof, is mounted at the bottom, or end, of a channel 32 which is adapted to coact andis of substantially the same size and shape as member 33 extending from stub member 130. Member 33 .is shown held in position within stub member 130 by a pair of rivets extending therethrough and attached to a hinge part 19 forming part of hinge member 18. A hole or pair of depressions are suitably provided near the end of member 33 and coact with the U-shaped member 31 to provide a-detent action for engaging and holding member 33. Thus, a connector assembly is provided which may be easily operated and which provides an assembly which may readily be disassembled and reassembled. Stub member 130 may be suitably dimensioned in length as necessary. As an alternative, it is contemplated that inserts of different lengths may be applied to stub member 130 and would be positioned between stub member 130 and hearing aid assembly 100.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An eyeglass templar member hearing aid comprising, in combination;

' 'an elongated housing having an eyeglass engaging connector at one extremity and an intermediate portion of reduced cross sectional size for coaction with the ear of a user, said housing having a plurality of acoustically independent interior chambers;

'a pair of sound transmitting channels extending into a chamber forwardlyof said intermediate portion for receiving a microphone;

a sound outlet member mounted forwardly of said intermediate portion;

a flexible sound transmitting tube inside of said housing connected to said outlet member and extending rearwardly through said intermediate portion;

a receiver mounted in a chamber rearwardly of said intermediate portion and having a sound outlet connected to said sound transmitting tube; and

electrical amplifying means connected in operative relationship with said microphone and said receiver.

2. A hearing aid for attachment to an eyeglass frame comprising, in combination;

an elongated housing having eyeglass connector means at one extremity and an intermediate portion of reduced cross section for engagement with the ear of a user, said housing being of laterally symmetrical shape about a vertical plane extending generally longitudinally thereof and having a plurality of interior chambers acoustically isolated one from another;

a pair of sound transmitting channels extending into a chamber forwardly of said ear engaging portion for coacting with a microphone mounted therein;

a sound outlet member mounted forwardly of said ear engaging portion and in communication with the interior of said housing; flexible sound transmitting tube inside of said housing and extending between said outlet member and rearwardly through said intermediate portion; receiver mounted in a chamber rearwardly of said intermediate portion and having a sound outlet connected to said sound transmitting tube;

electrical amplifying means connected in operative relationship with said microphone and said receiver;

said hearing aid being further characterized by having the sound transmitting channels and said sound outlet member in said vertical plane.

3. A hearing aid for attachment to an eyeglass frame comprising, in combination;

an elongated housing having eyeglass connector means at its forward extremity and an intermediate portion of reduced cross section for engagement with the ear of a user, said housing being of laterally symmetrical shape about a vertical plane extending generally longitudinally thereof and having a plurality of interior chambers acoustically isolated one from another;

pair of sound transmitting channels in said vertical plane extending into a chamber forwardly of said intermediate portion for receiving a microphone therein;

sound outlet member mounted in said vertical plane and forwardly of said intermediate portion and in communication with the interior of said housing; sound transmitting tube inside of said housing and extending between said outlet member and rearwardly through said ear engaging portion;

receiver mounted in a chamber rearwardly of said ear engaging portion and having a sound outlet connected, through resilient connecting means, to said sound transmitting tube; and

electrical amplifying means connected in operative relationship with said microphone and said receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the elongated housing is constructed of material having thermo plastic characteristics at least in the ear engaging portion.

5. A hearing aid for attachment to an eyeglass frame, comprising, in combination;

an elongated housing comprised of a pair of complementary configured members, each having a plurality of component receiving recesses which coact to define a plurality of acoustically independent chambers, said housing including a spring biased means for detenting engagement with a stub templar member on an eyeglass frame at one end, an intermediate portion of reduced cross section and being of symmetrical shape about a vertical plane through the longitudinal axis thereof;

battery carrier for receiving and holding a battery,

said battery carrier being rotatable about a pin mounted normal to said vertical plane, between a position entirely within a recess in said housing and a position substantially without said housing;

pair of resilient battery engaging members, each having one end fixedly attached to a mounting means therefor and having a battery engaging portion at the opposite end, said battery engaging member having a pointed end and a planar portion positioned normal to said vertical plane and tangential to said pin for engagement with a battery in said battery carrier;

a microphone positioned forwardly of the intermediate portion of said housing, a resonance chamber affixed thereto and including a sound transmitting channel therebetween, first and second sound conducting members extending from said microphone and said resonance chamber through the bottom of said housing in said vertical plane, one of said last named members having an acoustic insulating coating and the other of said last named members being comprised of a flexible material suitably dimensioned so as to form an acoustic resistance for said resonance chamber, and acoustical insulating means mounting and holding said microphone in one of said chambers;

a receiver mounted in one of said chambers rearwardly of the intermediate portion of said housing;

a flexible sound conducting member having a lining of acoustic insulating material at an end engaging the sound outlet of said receiver and being connected to a sound outlet extending through said housing in said vertical plane, said sound conducting member being of suitable shape and dimension so as to cooperate with said receiver to form a resonant sound conducting channel therefor;

y i amplifier means mounted rearwardly of said receiver;

and

electrically conductive means interconnecting said amplifier means, said receiver means, said microphone and said battery.

6. In combination with hearing aid apparatus;

an elongated chamber;

an outlet therefor;

a source of compressional wave energy including resilient mounting means therefor within said chamber, said source of energy having a single outlet for said elongated flexible acoustic energy guiding means having one end connected to said first named outlet; and

a resilient'sound coupling member interconnecting the outlet of said source of compressional wave energy and the other end of said guiding means.

I 7. In combination with hearing aid apparatus;

a chamber having a pair of openings; and

sound translating means mounted within said chamber,

said sound translating means including a pair of enclosed chambers interconnected by a sound conducting ,channel, each of said chambers having a further opening in registration and sound transmitting relationship with one of said pair of openings, one of said chambers having a means responsive to the impingement of compressional wave energy for generating an electrical signal and the other of said chambers including a flexible inert-ance in said further opening.

8. In combination-with hearing aid apparatus; a chamber having first and second inlet openings, a microphone mounted within said chamber and having a sound inlet channel in registration with said first inlet; a further chamber fixedly attached to said microphone and in fluid communication with the interior thereof, said further chamber also having a duct in registration with said second inlet.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 in Which-theduct in the further chamber is dimensioned so as to .form an acoustical inertance.

10. In combination with a hearing aid; a hollow housing having a pair of openings; and a microphone mounted therein; said microphone comprising a pair of hollow en- 'closures interconnected by an opening'for the transmission of acoustic energy therebetween, one of said enclosures having sound transducing means therein and an opening in registration with one of the openings. in said hollow housing andthe other of said enclosures having an acoustical inertance extending intermediate an opening therein and the other opening in said hollow housing.

11. A'hearing aid housing for attachment to an eyeglass frame, comprising; v

a longitudinally elongated connection member adapted to be hingedly attached to'an eyeglass frame and having a lateral recess therein in proximity to one extremity; a templar member having a forwardly opening cavity of similar cross'section as said connection member at the forward end thereof; and a connection-member-engaging-and holding member within said cavity 'havinga U shaped configuration and having inwardly extending portions for engaging the recess in said connection.

References Cited'bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,699,473 1/1955 aKettleretal. 179-1 2,702,318 2/ 1955 Dvorsky 179-1 2,894,076 7/1959 Posen 179-10'7 2,930,858 3/1960 Hollingsworth 179-107 12,983,797 5/1961 Lybar ger 179-107 3,035,127 5/1962 Strzalkowski 179-107 3,045,073 7/1962 gVickerson 179-107 3,048,668 8/1962 Weiss 179-107 3,059,066 10/1962 Hillmeyer 179-107 3,119,903 1/1964 Rosemond et al 1 79-107 FOREIGN PATENTS 834,268 5/1960 vGreat Britain.

ROBERT .H. ROSE. Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EYEGLASS TEMPLAR MEMBER HEARING AID COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION; AN ELONGATED HOUSING HAVING AN EYEGLASS ENGAGING CONNECTOR AT ONE EXTREMITY AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF REDUCED CROSS SECTIONAL SIZE FOR COACTION WITH THE EAR OF A USER, SAID HOUSING HAVING A PLURALITY OF ACOUSTICALLY INDEPENDENT INTERIOR CHAMBERS; A PAIR OF SOUND TRANSMITTING CHANNELS EXENDING INTO A CHAMBER FORWARDLY OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION FOR RECEIVING A MICROPHONE; A SOUND OUTLET MEMBER MOUNTED FORWARDLY OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION; A FLEXIBLE SOUND TRANSMITTING TUBE INSIDE OF SAID HOUSING CONNECTED TO SAID OUTLET MEMBER AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY THROUGH SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION; A RECEIVER MOUNTED IN A CHAMBER REARWARDLY OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND HAVING A SOUND OUTLET CONNECTED TO SAID SOUND TRANSMITTING TUBE; AND ELECTRICAL AMPLIFYING MEANS CONNECTED IN OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID MICROPHONE AND SAID RECEIVER. 